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EXTRA TOP SECRET!!! Italian World Cup Training Video TOP SECRET!!!

I advise you to watch the video. It is painful to watch, but it is a video that every American should see if you want a first-hand account of the tactics employed by the Italians when they play Soccer.

Someone has uncovered this Top Secret video of the Italians prepping for World Cup 2006.

Calipari is not, nor has he ever been accused or "caught", cheating. He himself turned in one of his players (Camby) for dealing with an agent to get one Final Four overturned. The other is all on the NCAA and Rose. (IF Rose cheated.)

"Cheering for Kentucky is like watching Star Wars and hoping Darth Vader chokes an ewok"

I don't know diddly about soccer. But I've been hearing a lot about this "flopping" deal.

Is this really a widespread thing? Sounds pretty disgraceful to an outsider.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~ Mark Twain

I don't know diddly about soccer. But I've been hearing a lot about this "flopping" deal.

Is this really a widespread thing? Sounds pretty disgraceful to an outsider.

It's fairly common. And it's annoying. The refs get criticized for calls/non-calls on fouls - but honestly from their perspective, it's tough to tell with these guys diving around the pitch. In hockey, diving is considered taboo .. in soccer, it's accepted for the most part.

It's fairly common. And it's annoying. The refs get criticized for calls/non-calls on fouls - but honestly from their perspective, it's tough to tell with these guys diving around the pitch. In hockey, diving is considered taboo .. in soccer, it's accepted for the most part.

Hmmmm. Makes me think they should adopt the hockey fighting ways. If a guy flops, give him something to really flop about.

Soccer goons.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~ Mark Twain

In hockey, diving is considered taboo .. in soccer, it's accepted for the most part.

I wonder if that's one of the reasons why the sport has a tough time reaching the mass market here. The American sporting character demands that its athletes not only be tough but act tough -- take a hit, and if you go down get back up, and it didn't hurt. Now, we know that soccer can be rough-and-tumble and elite players have to be tough, but with the diving and injury-faking and whining at the refs, they come across as something less than tough. There's plenty of room for gamesmanship in American sport, but acting like a candy-youknowwhat doesn't play.

I've also wondered why there's only one official on the field with all that ground to cover. I understand it at the lower levels, but in the premier leagues and FIFA events, you'd think they'd pony up for a better level of officiating.

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible

I wonder if that's one of the reasons why the sport has a tough time reaching the mass market here. The American sporting character demands that its athletes not only be tough but act tough -- take a hit, and if you go down get back up, and it didn't hurt. Now, we know that soccer can be rough-and-tumble and elite players have to be tough, but with the diving and injury-faking and whining at the refs, they come across as something less than tough. There's plenty of room for gamesmanship in American sport, but acting like a candy-youknowwhat doesn't play.

I feel this is one of the reasons the US doesn't win more foul calls actually. We don't act hurt, so the refs who are used to seeing untouched guys rolling like they've been shot don't make the call. Bake McBride was the perfect example of this behavior (though he won the card): he's gushing blood from his head and walking around like nothing happened. There is a machismo attitude in American sport, even among soccer players.

Every basketball team I've ever been around practiced adding a little bit of oooomph to taking a charging foul. Granted, the opportunity to use this doesn't come up like it does in soccer, but if you watch a college or pro hoops game, you'll see guys flopping quite a bit.

Every basketball team I've ever been around practiced adding a little bit of oooomph to taking a charging foul. Granted, the opportunity to use this doesn't come up like it does in soccer, but if you watch a college or pro hoops game, you'll see guys flopping quite a bit.

Yeah, but that is mostly so players don't get hurt in basketball. Every once in a while you'll see a player just flat out sell a charge with his acting, but most of the time there was or would have been contact if he stands in. If a player really stood in and took a charge, they would be hurting pretty good. Besides there is a difference between acting hurt and just acting like you were knocked down.

It's fairly common. And it's annoying. The refs get criticized for calls/non-calls on fouls - but honestly from their perspective, it's tough to tell with these guys diving around the pitch. In hockey, diving is considered taboo .. in soccer, it's accepted for the most part.

I'd agree - as a 18 year referee in everything from kindergarten games to small college - that it is difficult to tell. However, rest assured that if we know it's a fake dive, the punishment is swift. Mandatory Yellow for unsporting behavior.

The seven most magic words in all the land...
"If, in the opinion of the referee,..."

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